Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/111

Rh The general diets, which are uually held at Waraw or Grodno, are preceded by particular aemblies of palatinates, in which the deputies are choen for the general aembly, and intructed: the deputies aembled in general diet, proceed to the election of a marhal, who has a very extraordinary power, that of impoing ilence on whom he pleaes; he is the chief or peaker of the aembly.

At the death, abdication, or depoition of a king, the primate calls the aembly of the electors to an open field near Waraw. Here the electors take an oath, not to eparate until they hall have unanimouly elected a king, nor to render him when elected any obedience, until he has worn to oberve the Pacta Conventa, and the laws.

The candidates mut let their gold glitter, and give plendid entertainments, which mut be carried into debauch: the nobility are captivated, with the attractions of magnificence and Hungarian wine, and infallibly declare in favour of the candidate who caues it to flow in the greatet profuion. The ambaadors enter upon intrigues, even in public: the nobility receive their preents, fell their uffrages with impunity, and render the throne venal, but often behave with little fidelity to the candidate in whole interet they pretend to be engaged, and, forgetting the preents they have received, epoue the caue of a more wealthy competitor without heitation. When the candidate has gained all the uffrages, he is declared king, and worn to oberve the Pacta Conventa, and the laws, and then crowned. The Poles are polite and friendly, but magnificence is the foible of the nobility, and they acrifice all things to luxury: as they eldom ee any peron uperior to them